Electronic equipment, such as office equipment and audio/visual equipment in use in both home and office settings, typically includes at least a power cord and several signal cords. To locate electronic equipment in an area of a home or office away from a wall power receptacle, an AC power strip is conventionally used to provide power to each of a plurality of electronic devices such as a personal computer, a monitor, a printer, a telephone, and a facsimile machine. The AC power strip may be located on a floor proximate the electronic devices with the power cords of the connected electronic devices running from the AC power strip along the floor and elsewhere to power the electronic devices.
This arrangement of power cords and the AC power strip typically results in the AC power strip and the connected power cords being disposed in an unsafe and unsightly manner with excess sections of cord creating “rat's nests” of cords. In cases where the AC power strip and the connected power cords are concealed, the AC power strip and power cords are oftentimes disposed under or behind desks and other furniture making access to the AC power strip and power cords difficult.
Various solutions to the problem of managing electronic device cords, and more particularly, electronic device power cords and associated sources of AC power have been proposed in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. D411,177 entitled “Housing for Mounting, Arranging and Securing Electrical Power Lines to a Computer” shows a wire open mesh basket having a plurality of brackets attached to inside and outside portions of the basket for wrapping and securing power cords therearound. A power strip is shown attached to the outside portion the mesh basket. However, this basket does not provide for concealment of either the power strip or the power cords.
Another solution is shown in U.S. Pat. No. D445,766 entitled “Housing for Mounting, Arranging and Securing Electrical Power Lines to a Computer”. A wire open mesh basket includes a hinged lid and a plurality of brackets attached to inside portions of the basket. A power strip is shown attached to the inside portion of the basket. However, this basket does not provide for concealment of either the power strip or the power cords.
Other solutions include U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,479 entitled “Power Surge Protector”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,892 entitled “Device for Electrically Powering a Plurality of User Items Provided With Their Own Electrical Feed and Data Transfer Cables, to at Least Partially Contain These Cables During Said Feed”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,228 entitled “Electrical Station”, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0130492 A1 entitled “Receptacle Having Electric Power Cord Box Installed Therein” and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0164545 entitled “Apparatus for Connecting and Organizing Cords and Cables”. These solutions generally provide for a plurality of power receptacles and a space for storing excess lengths of power cords connected to the receptacles. However, these solutions do not provide for a means of concealing an AC power strip and connected power cords.
There is therefore a need in the art for an apparatus for concealing and AC power strip and organizing power cords connected thereto that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. There is also a need for an apparatus that provides space for storing excess lengths of power cords connected to the concealed AC power strip. There is a further need for an apparatus that is compact and easy to use.